Year Installed:
2008
Last Year Operated:
Currently Operating
Section:
Modern USA
Manufacturer:
Gerstlauer
Other Names and Nicknames:
Tony Hawk Big Spin
The Pandemonium opened in 2008 on and around the former site of the Cliffhanger. It was originally named the Tony Hawk Big Spin for the extreme sport athlete, Tony Hawk, and his “big spin” skateboarding maneuver. The name was changed in 2010 to The Pandemonium.
Tony Hawk Big Spin, later renamed the Pandemonium.
The ride consists of eight single car units with four seats each. Each unit is mounted on a round base that allows it to spin around in a 360 degree circle as it travels around the track.
The ride was built by Gerstlauer Amusement Rides of Germany at a cost of $6.5 million dollars.
The ride lift is 53 feet high with a 27-foot initial drop. The units travel around the 1,351 foot long at 31 mph.
The ride is designed for a throughput of 800 riders per hour with a ride run of 1 minutes and 51 seconds.
The Big Spin is similar to other Tony Hawk’s Big Spin rides that opened the season before at Six Flags Fiesta Texas and Six Flags Saint Louis. The ride opened as Mr. Six’s Pandemonium at Six Flags New England in 2005. Another Big Spin opened at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in the 2008 season. The Texas, Fiesta Texas, and St Louis rides are identical, while the Discovery Kingdom ride varies somewhat.
Year Installed:
2015
Last Year Operated:
Currently Operating
Section:
Modern USA
Manufacturer: Other Names and Nicknames:
The Justice League opened for the 2015 season at the site of the 3D Adventure Theater.
Guests ride in small six seat vehicles equipment with lazer guns at each seat. The riders use the guns to shoot at evil targets as they travel through the 20,000 square foot ride. The ride’s scenes include props, movies and other images viewed through 3d glasses. The goal is to save several superheros that have been kidnapped by villains.
The ride has 10 ride units.
Props and animatronic characters were manufactured by Sally Manufacturing.
Year Installed:
1995
Last Year Operated:
2010
Section:
Modern USA
Manufacturer: Other Names and Nicknames:
For 1995, Six Flags once again offered a new virtual reality theater. This theater, unlike the Sensational Sense Machine, did not feature a building which rolled or turned. Instead, for the Right Stuff Theater, the seats themselves pivoted and rotated based on the action on the screen, giving the rider the sense that they were participating in whatever action was depicted on the screen.
The first movie shown in the theater was the “Right Stuff”, for which the theater was originally named. The “Right Stuff” simulated flight in a modern Jet Fighter. It should not be confused with the full length feature film of the same name.
Original Right Stuff Theater.
In 1999, the move was changed to “Escape from Dino Island.” The following are the movies played during the life of the theater:
1995
Right Stuff
1996
Right Stuff
1997
Right Stuff
1998
Right Stuff
1999
Escape From Dino Island 3-D
2000
Escape From Dino Island 3-D
2001
Escape From Dino Island 3-D
2002
Space Shuttle America
2003
Right Stuff
2004
SpongeBob
2005
SpongeBob
2006
SpongeBob
2007
Fly Me to the Moon
2008
Fly Me to the Moon
2009
Fly Me to the Moon
2010
Robots of Mars
In addition, special features were played during Fright Fest and Holiday in the Park.
Escape from Dino Island:
After the Right Stuff ended, the theater was known as the Adventure Theater and the 3D Adventure Theater.
In 1965, the Arena was added to the west of the Railroad tracks. The first show featured circus acts. In 1966, the arena featured a wild-west show. In 1970, the arena was remodeled and featured the Las Voladores Flying Indian Spectacular. The Arena closed in 1974, after the opening of the Music Mill Theater.
For the 1983 season, the Spindletop was moved to the site of the Texas Lift.
In 1990, the Texas Giant wooden roller coaster was added. The Spindletop was removed from the park in 1989, to make way for the photo booth at the exit of the Texas Giant.
Year Installed:
1961
Last Year Operated:
1977
Section:
Modern USA
Manufacturer: Other Names and Nicknames:
The Missilechaser was a scrambler type ride. It opened with the park in 1961 and was removed from the park at the end of the 1977 season. The area where it was located was later used for the Sensational Sense Machine attraction. This area is no longer open to the public.
The ride was the first of three scrambler rides installed in the park. The second scrambler, also named the Missilechaser was added in 2000 at the current site for the Superman Ride. It was removed at the end of the 2002 season.
The park’s current scrambler is known as the “Sidewinder” and is located in the Texas Section. It was added as part of the 10 new rides of 2006.
Year Installed:
1961
Last Year Operated:
1986
Section:
Modern USA
Manufacturer:
Arrow Development
Other Names and Nicknames:
The Humble Happy Motoring Freeway (known as the “Modern Cars”) opened with the Park in 1961. The track ran along the South edge of the Modern Section from near the Zoo to the area that would become Boomtown.
The ride consisted of small go-cart sized vehicles with sport car bodies. Each of the twenty-two cars were powered with a 7½ horsepower rear gas engine. The gas pedal on the driver’s side actually moved the car forward, while the steering wheel controlled the direction of the cars travel.
The cars traveled around the track at six miles per hour, passing billboards and waiving by-passers. Just to make sure that there was no rush hour grid lock, the roadway contained a metal guide-strip directly in the middle. The guide-strip prevented the cars from leaving the track while still allowing the driver to steer the cars on the track.
The ride was favored by the younger crowd, because it allowed them to actually “drive” the car, controlling both the speed, and within limits, the direction of the car.
Eventually the body style of the cars changed in order to keep the appearance of the cars up to date with actual car styles and designs.
Due to the popularity of the ride, in 1962 a second Happy Motoring Freeway was added next to the first track. The queue house used by the Sidewinder Rollercoaster was converted into the queue house for the second happy ride.This increased the number of cares on the two tracks to 38. In order to make room for this second track, the Sidewinder roller coaster in turn was moved to the Mexican section.
Six Flags would operate with two Happy Motoring tracks until the end of the 1980 season. At that time, the original track was removed. The track added in 1962 continued to operate as the lone track until 1986, when it also was removed.
Year Installed:
1961
Last Year Operated:
1983
Section:
Modern USA
Manufacturer: Other Names and Nicknames:
The Petting Zoo was located in the Modern Section in what is now Looney Tunes Land. It was an original attraction when the Park opened in 1961,
The zoo, initially, sponsored by Southwestern Life Insurance was a place guests could visit and pet friendly farm animals, such as cows and goats, as well as birds, and a giant tortoise.
There was also a small seal pool. For a nominal fee, guests could purchase dead fish to feed the seals.
The highlight of attraction of the Zoo was “Sis” Flagg, the Baby Asian Elephant. Although a baby elephant, Baby elephants grow so fast that Sis had to be replaced nearly every season with a younger elephant. The original “Sis” was purchased from Thailand for $2,000.
By 1968, the season of the last “Sis”, eight elephant will have lived in the park under the same name. Representing the other political party was Sis’s companion, Tulip, the white burro. The Zoo was a significant attraction in the park until the early 70s. It dwindled down over the years until only the Seal Pond remained in the mid 70s. Over a period of a few years, it was gradually downsized until nothing remains of it today. Looney Tunes Land now occupies the space which held the Zoo.
Boomtown was the first section added to the park after it opened. It opened in 1963 in the far northeast corner of the park. Boomtown was themed as a typical Texas oil field town during the oil boom of the 1890’s and 1900’s.
The Boomtown station house opened with Boomtown, allowing the Six Flags Railroad to begin dropping passengers off on the far side of the park. Prior to opening of Boomtown, the Railroad ran nonstop round trips only.
In 1966, the park’s first major roller coaster, the Runaway Mine Train was added in the boomtown section.
At the end of the 1968 session, the Sky Hook was removed. The Mini Mine Train opened the next season, in approximately the same location.
In 1972, a Miniature Six Flags Model opened in the Texas Travel Exhibit. At the end of that season, the Boomtown station was removed and replaced with the Good Times Square Station on the opposite side of the tracks. The model was removed in the late 70’s or early 80’s.
At the end of the 1982 season,the Caddo War Canoes were removed from the park.
At the end of the 1985 season, the Merry Go Round was removed for reconstruction. When it returned, it was placed at the Front Gate.
Year Installed:
1962
Last Year Operated:
Currently Operating
Section:
Texas
Manufacturer:
Arrow Development
Other Names and Nicknames:
The Chaparral Antique Car ride is the second oldest continuously operating ride in the park, surpassed in age only by the Six Flags Railroad. The ride was first open in the park’s second season, 1962. The ride is known as “Chaps” to the employees and “the old timey cars” to the guest. It consists of a fleet of small gas power automobiles which are “driven” around a peaceful track by the guests. While the steering wheels and gas pedals are operational, a runner in the middle of the track keeps the cars from being driven outside the boundaries of the road.
Chaparral horseless Carriages, Probably 1961. Note the Uniforms of the Employees and the name Chaparral on the Grill. The Cars were probably just turned for the picture.
The ride was initially themed on the Chaparral Motoring Company of Cleburne, Texas, which produced Automobiles introduced in 1911. For years a sign inside the Chaps queue house documented the story of the automotive company. (The sign has since been removed.)
Chap cars – 1985.
The ride was modeled after the Happy Motoring Freeway, which was essentially the same ride with more modern car bodies. Happy Motoring was opened in the first season and a second track was added in 1962 when the Chaparral ride was open. In contrast to the Chaparral cars, the Happy Motoring cars where know as the “Modern” cars by the Guests. From 1962 until Happy One was closed in 1980, the park operated three motoring tracks. (One Happy Motoring track was removed in 1980, the other in 1986).
Chaps Que House – 1985.
The ride is located in the Texas station, near the Texas Railroad station, and for years sat in a peaceful location, far from the noise of any thrill rides or noisy attractions. Now it is in the shadow of the Texas Giant
Chaparral cars, Late 60’s, early 70s
When the ride opened, there were twenty-two cars. Little has change on the ride over the years. The Que house and garage are essentially the same as they were in 1962. Some of the attractions visible from the track have changed, but little on the track itself is different. One change that comes and goes is the removal of the car’s tops. In the early 1970’s the tops were removed, making the cars convertibles (see below picture). The tops were restored and have recently again been removed and the cars are now “convertibles”.
